Recent Stories

When Michelle Taylor walked across the stage at December’s commencement ceremony to accept her master’s degree, she culminated a journey of more than 7,300 miles and three countries. And though she didn’t step foot on campus during her two years in the Master of Education in Teaching program, she felt strongly about attending graduation.

This month, Wendy Harriford Platt — a veteran teacher, mother, and daughter of a Carolina icon — will walk across the commencement stage to accept her doctorate degree in education with no regrets. Well, maybe just one regret — that her father will not be there to celebrate with her.

Education professor and rabbi, Meir Muller, is devoted to countering antisemitism and bias through education. His work is shaping school curriculum for children in Europe and ultimately, here in South Carolina.

Storytelling is how we make sense of our world. Whether we’re scientists, mathematicians, poets or preachers, we tell ourselves stories to understand the world around us. The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program helps hone this natural talent into a craft — a craft that turns stories into art.

University of South Carolina College of Education alumna and Pelion High School assistant principal, Erica Page, was named the 2018 National Assistant Principal of the Year. Though not a South Carolina native, Page began her career in education a decade ago in Lexington County after an adventurous 650-mile move south.

Though the College of Education is graduating an increasing number of science and math educators, the state – and nation – is still in desperate need of these teachers. To encourage more students to considering teaching science and math, Carolina is offering top students scholarships which are funded by a National Science Foundation grant program.

Tommy Coggins directs the Office of Sponsored Award Management, talks about the role his office plays in assisting faculty members searching for funding and how faculty can improve their chances of bringing in big grants.

A cherished, childhood friendship led Tori Vaeth to study special education at the University of South Carolina. Now, the College of Education double alumna is leading a program that’s training and placing young adults with intellectual disabilities in rewarding careers.

University of South Carolina College of Education alumnus and Chapin High School principal, Akil Ross, was named the 2018 National Principal of the Year on Friday, October 20. The honor is the culmination of a passionate career as an educator that began just a few miles away from our campus 16 years ago.

At just 6 years old, Noella “Binda” Niati was forced to flee her home in the Democratic Republic of Congo, amid intense violence and political upheaval. More than two decades later, she is headed back to Africa to study ways to encourage children, especially girls, to stay in school longer.

Education professor Rhonda Jeffries and graduate student Hope Reed wanted to close the achievement gap for underrepresented students, specifically those tracked to be in remedial classes. So, they took a risk with a group of freshman students at Blythewood High School and conducted a secret experiment of sorts that proved to be powerful.

Raised by a Cuban father and Colombian mother in Boston, Massachusetts, Julia López-Robertson experienced first-hand the challenges that come with being a member of an underrepresented population in America. Now as a professor in the College of Education, she is helping other Latino families through her research and outreach.

A self-proclaimed “outdoorsy” person, Todd Beasley started his own small business at just 10 years old gardening for other families in his neighborhood. Now three decades later, the College of Education alumnus is the new director of programs at one of the largest botanical gardens in the country — the San Antonio Botanical Gardens.

A is for alphabet, at least according to USC Times. To help close out 2016, the University of South Carolina’s monthly magazine for faculty and staff devoted its entire December issue to the ABCs of 2016 — with each letter representing a different accomplishment, announcement or notable arrival from the past year.

Graduate student Blaire Umhau’s time spent on ocean cruises involves hard work in the serious business of defining how mercury contamination makes its way through the marine environment. But she still describes sleep-deprived days out on the sea as “the best thing in the world.”